Special Delivery: Paramedics Earn Stork Pins After Delivering Baby Boy

Four Madison Fire Department personnel earned their stork pins this week after delivering a baby boy on Medic 5.

Early in the morning of April 11, Station 5 was dispatched to a call in their territory on the east side. Dispatch notes indicated a woman was in labor with contractions two minutes apart. When Medic 5 arrived, the contractions were nearly continuous. The baby was on his way!

Firefighter Ryan Raisbeck drove the ambulance as Paramedics Daniel Congdon, Jeffrey Ezzell, and Paramedic-In-Training Julia Griessmeyer stayed by the mother’s side, coaching her through contractions and monitoring for complications. Just as the ambulance arrived at UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital, the baby made his grand entrance into the world.

While all paramedics and EMT-Basics are trained to help deliver a baby, should the occasion arise, it’s a once-in-a-career kind of call for most first responders. For Firefighter Ryan Raisbeck, it’s the third stork pin earned so far in his four-year career. Julia Griessmeyer, who is working toward her paramedic license, may still see more stork pins in her future! The call proved a rewarding and valuable learning experience at a vital stage in her training.

“It couldn’t have gone any better,” said Griessmeyer. “Everything went so smoothly.”

Fire Chief Chris Carbon, Assistant Chief of Medical Affairs Ché Stedman, and Division Chief of EMS Operations Liza Tatar presented the pins and celebratory donuts to the personnel at Station 5 ('A' shift).

“You’re going to be a part of that family’s story on every birthday now,” Chief Carbon told the crew. “That’s pretty special.”